Interesting prompts ...
to start a conversation going ...
as and when you might need one ...
a diversion to talk about

Saturday, 3 September 2011

Welcome to my BBQ – or Braai – or Barbecue ...

Karen's book -
details on her site

... whichever continent you’re on or wherever you live come and join us at KarenGs Labor Day BBQ ...

Karen has a wonderful giraffe picture as her header ... she has a huge family, lots of interesting friends – publishers, authors, crafters, entrepreneurs and bloggers ... so come on over and join the party. .. perhaps pick up a copy of her book: Farm Girl.

You’ll find Karen here – with the simple rules to the party ... bring some goodies, mix in with the conversation, find new friends and followers and generally enjoy the day.

I took a platter of stuffed mushrooms, some vino (of course), and a fruit salad with me to Karen’s ... here at my place you’ll find the main constituents to a BBQ – hot coals, plenty of cold drinks, chairs and loungers, rugs for the grass, cool shade under the trees, and a trestle ready for everyone’s contributions ... mine are:

Herby bread – a stand by for me ... a baguette sliced right through, each slice spread with a herb butter mix (I usually use chopped chives, drops of lemon juice, sprinkle of cayenne – you can add in parsley etc –your taste!); wrap in foil, bake in the oven, open to crisp up before taking out ... (I don’t use garlic anymore – I find it can be too much especially if there’s lots elsewhere).

Various marinated meats and hunks of veggie – ready to be BBQd; some hummus, tzatziki and crudités to whet our appetite; fresh green salad, mix of tomatoes straight from the bush, potato salad ...

.. followed by strawberries picked this morning from the overflowing fruits of delight at Sharnfold’s Farm Shop ...

As I love my snippets of history, a look at life from a different perspective, I’ll add a note about Bank Holidays that I omitted from my previous post .... why are they called ‘Bank’ Holidays (which Lee from Tossing It Out asked) ...

Tomatoes to choose from ...

The Bank of England prior to 1834 observed about 33 saints’ days and religious festivals as holidays which was then reduced to just four: 1st May (May Day), 1st November (All Saints Day), Good Friday and Christmas Day; (not sure why – but the name Bank Holiday stuck).

The Bank Holidays Act of 1871 (England, Wales and Ireland) specified new days: Easter Monday, Whit Monday, first Monday in August, Boxing Day/St Stephen’s Day .... Good Friday and Christmas Day were already recognised as common law holidays – and had become customary holidays long before records began. (Whit Monday or Pentecost Monday is the holiday celebrated the day after Pentecost (Whitsun) – this has since changed ... don’t ask!).

Ready to be dipped in cream and sugar - if that's your taste
enjoy!

Come and enjoy the feast – the warm weekend – it looks like the sun will burn off the early sea mist that came down yesterday ... meet new friends, find new blogs ... relax ...

Dear Mr Postman – our August Bank Holiday weekend has gone, but I’m sure we can enjoy the celebrations over at Karen’s Labor Day BBQ – come and meet everyone .. it’s quiet with my mother for now.

@ Liesl .. I could do with hopping on a plane and joining you - perhaps I'll do that tomorrow?! Sounds delicious .. and strawberry plants - looks like a good season ahead. Enjoy ...

@ Betsy - Noooo - my husband's (?) name - I think he double barrelled it! But there's the complete untruth about the connection with Melton Mowbray pork pies ... so when I saw the Melton Cheeseboard shop I just had to use their picture. The village of Melton is in the Midlands .. sadly not near here. Though where their plantations are ... amuses me to think!

Are you using lots of elderberry extract too - fairly obvious, I guess .. it is a delicious cordial and presse .. exquisite smells emanate from it ...

You enjoy your Labour weekend .. we've had ours - boo hoo! Lovely to see you - say Hi to Pete, Cheers for now .. Hilary

Hi Hilary! Thanks for the shout out and linking to my blog. The BBQ is going great! Lots of wonderful food to share and new people dropping in daily. Thanks for your support! My son always calls a BBQ a braai-- which I'm sure you are familiar with!

Oh I am getting hungry now. That sounds all good. We are preparing our terras for the summer and hopefully will have lots of BBQ's The kiwi's love BBQ. Is the word braai in your title afrikaans Braien was slang for baking were I used to live in Holland. I will hop over to karen and have a look.Arohanui marja

I can imagine what's happening down south - I remember that from my South African days.

Braaivleis .. is the Afrikaans for 'grill meat' .. barbecue meat .. and is now used by the English in southern Africa - usually shortened to Braai (for the meal .. come to a braai).

The Dutch and the English both had much to do with colonising Southern Africa - and in SA they were there first in 1752, establishing a refreshment centre at the Cape of Good Hope (Cape Town).. a century and half after the Cape Sea Route was found to the Spice Islands (Indonesia area).

@ Teresa .. well it certainly gave me a reason to find out .. just hadn't thought about it! Mind you Bank Holidays can be muddling .. so many changes, and so many slightly different around the world - I was probably more interested Messing about in the Creek (previous post) or getting stuck into the food and vino at Karen's BBQ! Good to see you.

@ Jamara .. many thanks - it is good sharing Karen's BBQ - fun idea .. and we're well thank you (Mum quiet, but that's the way it goes).

All the best to you both and your Mama too ..

@ Betsy - lovely to meet you - I popped over and met your 5 men!

Great to see you and I'll be around catching up on life a la Betsy!

Thanks Teresa, Jarmara and Betsy .. enjoy the rest of Labour Day .. Jarmara and I (the UKers) will think of last weekend .. Hilary

Ah, the barbecue. We are very fond of them over here, though hot coals are not as much in evidence these days, as many (I confess, including our house) have gone for a gas grill. Perhaps Rumpole had the most amusing take on the BBQ. I wish I could find the exact quote, but it was something on the order of opining that his son choose to cook outside on some sort of barbarian implement when he had a perfectly good cooker inside the house!

Hi Hilary,Wow a BBQ. Ah yes, I remember having a BBQ in England. That would be that one glorious day in ummm...April.And of course, they have 'Labour' Day BBQ's in Canada, as well. And in Canada, they spell words in correct English :)And it seems to me, that 'banks' are always on holiday over here.Cheers and without going into details, I also enlightened Lee that 'tossing' has another meaning, here :)All the best and yay for a bit of decent weather!

@ Joylene .. now wouldn't that be nice - bank our time for later - excellent idea ... sadly time wait for no man or woman - just benefits the Banks painfully!!

@ Diane .. I'm like you - I still use phrases and words that are South African .. so very happy to share a braai with you!

@ Munir .. Karen's book I'm certain will be a very interesting read - I hope you like the look of it and buy it.

@ Susan .. I suspect that's the way it is in most homes .. but the taste is so very different especially if charcoal is mixed with wood. I don't know that story about Rumpole .. I must remember and try and find out .. sounds a fun snippet within the book. Thanks for telling us.

@ Gary - well you're so right aren't you - not a v good summer. I remembered about the English spelling for the Canadians!

Banks always on holiday here - yes probably! Did you now - I bet Lee was pleased to learn of that other description!

Well the weather disappeared yesterday and today looks much the same - here's to the summer that's gone for 2011!!

@ Susanne - thank you .. glad you're sharing with us.

@ Lee - everyone's food sounded delicious - great party we'd all make! Now that would be a blog fest?!

Pleasure - glad you asked about the Bank Holiday name .. I hadn't picked it up .. so it's good to have it added in. I expect the history of the banks tells much too - they were major institutions then ... funding everything left, right and centre! (Not much changed then).

@ Susan .. with pleasure I'll save a warming slice of herby bread for you. Good to see sharing the BBQ with us ..

@ Clarissa .. thank you - should be a good party with lots of conversation ...

@ Ella .. hope your Labor Day included some down time - today perhaps. Like you if bloggers post about food .. it can be quite frustrating as my tummy tells me no not yet!

Thanks so much everyone .. Joylene, Diane, Munir, Susan, Gary, Susanne, Lee, Susan, Clarissa and Ella - Enjoy Labor Day itself .. or the week ahead for the rest of us .. Hilary

Hello! Just popping in from Karen's barbecue. I'm Janice from jabblog in Berkshire. It's blowing a gale today and the sun is trying to shine in that desperate British way it sometimes shows in September.

Hi Hilary - thanks for visiting my humble abode and leaving a nice comment . . . . and for following. I have just signed up as your follower also. Great to 'meet' you at Karen G's BBQ which was a great success and full of interesting and friendly people. Hope we meet in BlogLand regularly and there is always a cup of coffee at my place whenever you like. Eddie

@ Eddie .. many thanks - good to see you here .. yes Karen's BBQ has been a great success .. and I'm sure we'll meet again (as they say) .. and a cup of coffee sounds just wonderful!

@ Susan .. consulted the Rumpole expert - well that was definitely a good thought .. and they came up with a very sensible thought -- BBQs would have been happening in Florida, and at that stage were probably almost unknown here. Useful detective work ... thanks!

@ Murr - good to meet you .. and delighted you feel well sustained here .. well you've been busy painting and hiking .. can't expect you to cook too!

@ Madeleine .. I'm sure the herby bread would be washed down well with some vino, then the strawberries and cream would taste perfect! Elderflower presse is rather delicious isn't it.

@ Matthew - thank you ...

@ Ellie .. no problems plenty of strawberries and cream left you're so right yum, yum ---- after today they'll be battered to smithereens - pity ... the Indian Summer from Saturday should have continued.

Cheers Madeleine, Matthew and Ellie - and thanks for the visit - Hilary

I am incredibly hungry after reading this post! And I know where I could experience a death by cheese!LOL, at the Melton's Cheese place, wow, 120 different varieties? :) It all sounds so wonderful, what a nice gathering, too. Unfortunately, we've had the worst outbreak of wildfires here in central Texas ever recorded..I could see smoke in every direction from my house yesterday. Not sure if grills are to blame, but our drought is so bad this summer...Hope you had a wonderful time and met many new friends!! :)~Scarlett

Hi Hilary, thanks so much for visiting my blog! Your blog is so interesting and fun..mine seems so boring in comparison! So double thanks for stopping in. I love having blog friends in different parts of the world. I know I'll learn a ton of great things from yours. Have a wonderful week!

Good thing I'm going to have lunch in a few minutes, reading this post makes me HUNGRY! As always, a delightful post, thanks for this. I just love to get my "English living" fix once in a while - and start to think about having another holiday in your lovely country ;-))

Hi Frauke .. lovely to see you - your quilt leaf .. and the background - what fantastic colours and so superb - and a sight to see.

Thanks .. sorry hope you've had lunch now - I have .. but nothing as relaxed as this BBQ!

Do come over .. it'd be good to see you here .. I'd love to do some more exploring of Germany .. I've some great friends in Hamburg - and I'd love to do the Olympic Park in Munich - so I can see where I was way back then!

A - Z Banner

About Me

A lover of life – who after London, spent time in South Africa; an administrator, sports lover, who enjoys cooking and entertaining ... who through her mother’s illness found a new passion – writing, in particular blogging; which provides an opportunity for future exploration, by the daughter, who has (in her 3rd age years) found a love of historical education. Curiosity didn’t kill this cat – interaction is the key!